When asked to estimate, the answer is "I'll let you know when I'm getting into it". Then you're made to do a 'spike', which is indistinguishable from doing the task. Except do it in a day now. So the Engineer thrashes around trying to figure it all out in a day, and comes up with some number. The planning phase is now over, so they're supposed to just execute, regardless of what (bogus) number they found. So they start. At the end of the sprint, they've done less than if they'd just started the task the first day. They get 'measured' as a low performer. Of course its the process that's performing badly, not the Engineer. They get frustrated, resentful and stop cooperating with the scrum master.
I've seen this so many times at so many places its just exhausting. No amount of discussion can convince the evangelical Scrum experts that something is wrong with the process.
